A rapid strep test determines whether this bacterium is present. It will not detect viral causes of a sore throat. When to Take an At-Home Strep Test If you or your child has a sore throat with a ...

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, you can get strep throat through respiratory ... with antibiotics if they test positive. It usually takes 24 to 48 hours to see improvement.

Doctors usually diagnose and treat strep A infections based on a person's symptoms, rather than test results ... People with strep throat should stay home from work, school, or nursery until ...

While a sore throat can be a side effect of many other illnesses, it's the most telling symptom of strep throat - contributing ... a throat culture or rapid test "is needed to confirm it," says ...